Lot 629: Auguste Rodin

Lot 629: ALS in French, signed "Rodin," one page, 4.25 x 6.5, March 1897. Letter to the novelist Alphonse Daudet. In part (translated): "You did me the honor of inviting me, and I thank Mrs. Daudet for her gracious invitation but I am unfortunately dependent on a strict diet due to my health. I hope and I still hope, and how many times I fell for the pleasure of being with friends. You know and I know as...the friendship that has bound us, has no childish ways and no end." In fine condition, with uniform toning and a small stain at the top. Rodin had been friends with Daudet for nearly two decades, the latter remaining especially supportive of Rodin's work during his famously controversial commissions of the late 1890s. It was no lack of friendship that led Rodin to decline this invitation; more likely, it was as he notes a dietary concern, as the artist kept himself on a restricted vegetarian diet to enhance his imagination and productivity. Regrettably, Daudet passed away just nine months later. A fine association piece between two French artistic greats.
RR Auction's Fine Autographs & Artifacts
Friday, 23rd October 2015
Estimate: $2000-3000